By Forrester Pack
MINNEAPOLIS- Well, I guess at least they were open about their
intentions:
“It is our opinion that readers should fill out their ballot according to our
recommendations."
On Monday, the editorial board of the Minnesota Daily revealed their endorsement for Minneapolis mayor: Jacob Frey.
Because Minneapolis uses ranked-choice voting, the next two picks of the Daily were
current Mayor Betsy Hodges and state representative Raymond Dehn.
“Of all the mayoral
candidates, we believe that Jacob Frey is the most aptly positioned to continue
the many positive reforms in Minneapolis and more effectively advocate for the
city. We urge Minneapolis voters to select him as their first-ranked choice for
mayor on Nov. 7.
“As a
mayor, we believe Frey will be very accessible. Even as a council member, Frey
has been very engaged and responsive to dialogue from his constituency. We
believe that this is not a ploy to pander votes, but a part of who he is as an
individual.”
The Daily next made a strange point to
explain why Nekima Levy-Pounds, who has been extremely active in advocating for
minority residents in the city, is an accomplished businesswoman, and was a
University of St. Thomas law professor for well over a decade, didn’t make the
list:
“Nekima Levy-Pounds wasn't on
our ranked-choice ballot for several reasons, with the most prominent being a
lack of elected experience within the city or elsewhere.”
I’m not sure if the editorial board at the Daily is
aware of this, but… before every single elected politician in history won their
position, at one point or another… he or she had no elected experience. That’s
why they ran.
Levy-Pounds, whose platform includes affordable housing; environmental justice;
urban agriculture; criminal justice reform; and economic equity and fairness,
among other issues, didn’t quite have enough "experience" to make
the MN Daily ranked choice list.
Reactions: Minnesota media or mirage?
As a graduate of the University of Minnesota, in particular the
School of Journalism, I still try to keep up with campus media. So I was
definitely shocked to see the slate of endorsements for mayor of Minneapolis
this week.
And apparently I wasn’t the only one. These were some of the comments posted to
the Daily’s website:
I am struck by this phrase in this endorsement, "He has a
history of working with both sides of any issue." Although I enjoy Jacob's
company and enthusiasm it seems to me that he is too willing to agree with both
sides of an issue depending on his audience. While this approach leads to
popularity it does not take a city on a path to progress.
Quite frankly, these endorsements are trash. Ray Dehn in
particular has focused heavily on making the city more friendly for students,
so why on earth is he not highlighted higher up? Its like you aren't
representing students yourself, but are supposed to be the newspaper for us to
read?
Also, calling Jacob Frey an engaging and accesible leader only shows how out of touch a newspaper editorial board can be. Maybe he give you plenty of time, but the consensus across the city is that if you aren't a business owner, Frey has done squat to engage you, other than relentlessly advertise to you.
~signed, an agitated Dehn/Flowers/Levy-Pounds supporter
Also, calling Jacob Frey an engaging and accesible leader only shows how out of touch a newspaper editorial board can be. Maybe he give you plenty of time, but the consensus across the city is that if you aren't a business owner, Frey has done squat to engage you, other than relentlessly advertise to you.
~signed, an agitated Dehn/Flowers/Levy-Pounds supporter
Here is
a different perspective: Living in Northeast Minneapolis for over 15 years, we
have grown to love this pocket of the city. We enjoy access to parks, a
beautifully maintained riverfront, and restaurants and small businesses within
walking distance.
Yet,
for all the ways Minneapolis is green and up-and-coming; it also continues to
hold an egregious track record of racial inequity by almost every standard.
We, as
residents of Minneapolis, must ask ourselves: Are we okay with this?
Our
answer is no, and that it’s time for bold new city leadership.
As a current Minneapolis resident, I have to agree with those comments
above. This is why the endorsements seem way off to me. With over 50,000
students on campus and a city of nearly 400,000 people, it seems some of the
biggest outlets in local media take pleasure in ignoring large concerns and
issues of its citizens.
Take for instance the Star Tribune’s
endorsement for Minneapolis Ward 3. This is the seat vacated by
Jacob Frey, where several candidates are running to fill:
"Tim Bildsoe, 60, a Wells Fargo
insurance manager and downtown resident who is president of the North Loop
Neighborhood Association [...] would bring the best combination of governing
skills and experience to the position.
"Bildsoe
believes local government should focus on the basics, including crime
prevention and public safety; a traffic grid that works for motorists,
pedestrians and bike riders; strategic economic growth; and access to
affordable housing.”
The endorsement article goes on to give roughly two lines of
description to challenger Ginger Jentzen, a candidate whose platform issues
includes: affordable housing and rent control; Black Lives Matter; LGBTQ
Rights; challenging corporate power; environmental justice and green jobs, among
others.
She didn't make the Star Tribune's
ranked choice list.
 |
|
Minneapolis
mayoral candidate Nekima Levy-Pounds and Minneapolis City Council (Ward 3)
candidate Ginger Jentzen didn't make the endorsements of the Minnesota Daily or Star Tribune, respectively.
|
Election coverage? Or cover-up?
So who decides what
issues are “real”? What people matter? This is a serious question ahead of the
Nov. 7 municipal elections and beyond, because this goes to how our society is
represented in media and government.
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